Love, You're Not Alone
by angelsinstead
Summary: Anne Hale begins on a journey of self-discovery. Will the love she feels for Cotton be her downfall or her salvation? (Subplot : John/Mary)
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note- This story is AU but there are elements of the plot which are similar to the show. I do not own Salem or the characters. This was written for entertainment only._

 **Chapter One  
**

 _"My father told me that there was no time in Hell- no past, no future; only all of time in an eternal present. And that I was already there burning beside him. I have tormented myself ever since, wondering what crime I could possibly commit that would so consign myself to Hell. I am relieved. It was no crime, but a choice. I will choose to be in Hell, so that others may not."_

 _— Cotton Mather  
_

My name is Anne Elizabeth Hale. I am the daughter of the Magistrate John Hale. I lived the first eighteen years of my life in the belief that I was not unlike any other young female in Salem. I had no clue or memory of the affliction that has since then overpowered me. Sadly now, this torment has taken control of every single aspect of my life.

It all started when I met him, the Reverend Cotton Mather. Like his father before him, his goal was to blot out all of the witches and their evilness from the town of Salem. His intentions were good, but he was not without his afflictions. Cotton Mather, the man whom I came to love and marry; he was not a saint. He battled the demons of alcohol while finding solace in the arms of a beautiful lady of the night. This young woman, whom he deeply loved was taken from him. She was driven away by his self righteous father, the exalted Increase Mather, one of the most brutal and cruel men whom I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. When Cotton lost Gloriana, his forbidden love, he sunk only deeper into the bottle. He began to curse his father and his wicked ways. Eventually, Cotton had no other choice but to slay his own father.

My mother - or the woman whom I had always believed was my mother - Elizabeth Hale - said that Cotton Mather would make a good match for me, and that someday, I should take him as my husband. I must admit I was fascinated with the man... right from the first moment that I met him. He wasn't like the other men who walked the streets of Salem. Something drew me to him. Something in him called to me, even though I fast became aware of his vices. I was young, but I was not naive. I had heard the whispers. My mother, the woman whom had raised me as her own child; she may have been oblivious to Cotton's severe afflictions, but I was not. Seeing he was different, tortured, and not like the others, that is what drew me in.

All the constant talk of witches had me uneasy. I had myself fooled that I was not unlike the others, those modest, puritan girls who walked along beside me each Sunday to hear the Reverend speak in the church. But I wasn't like them. Not in the slightest.

My favorite place in Salem was the cemetery. I was so at ease, sitting amongst the tombstones, drawing in the near-darkness within my sketchbook. I always liked the dark things - the macabre. Although I feared the witches and all of their spooky tales, I was secretly fascinated by them and their wicked ways.

As I sat in the cool grass of the cemetery one overcast day, drawing my latest creation, I was approached by him, the man whom had invaded my every passionate fantasy. "Miss Hale, what are you doing here, in such a dark and dreary place?" he asked. "Couldn't you find comfort somewhere else? What is it you are drawing?"

"I find it very pleasant here... and peaceful," I said softly as the used the dark piece of chalk to continue my drawing. His eyes caught upon the crow I had drawn as it sat upon a gravestone as though it were guarding it. Of course, it was an imaginary crow. No such creature could be found within the confines of the cemetery. It had flown only into my imagination.

He seemed taken aback by my drawing and although it appeared to bother him, he did not comment. Instead, it would seem that he had taken a fascination with my hair. It was the same glorious bright-red as his Gloriana's, the lady of the night whom had been taken from him. I knew he still grieved for her. It was in the depths of his emerald eyes. So much suffering. I longed to erase it and replace it with a sort of healing balm. I didn't want him to ache for her any longer. She was gone now. He had to live again. He had to find peace within himself... and that is something he couldn't find inside the bottle of the strongest whiskey.

Although I had her hair, I was nothing like Gloriana. I was thin where she was voltomous. She had curves where I was just beginning to sprout the beginnings of a young woman's breasts. It would seem that I was a late bloomer in so many ways. I had not yet reached my full glory. That would come later... after I would learn of my shocking heritage. At this point in time, I was like a tiny flower, a seeking bloom; a beautiful wild rose which grew untouched upon a forgotten grave.

As I looked up into his soulful green eyes, I remembered my mother's words that I should make him my husband and at that very moment, I vowed that I would - I would become his wife. A huge smile overtook my face as I gazed at him. Our fates then were sealed. There would be no other man for me. For the rest of my life, it would just be Anne, so in love with Cotton... so in love that NO other man could ever stir my heart, not even for a single second.

"Why do you look at me that way? Why do you smile so?" I heard him ask.

"Because I am happy," I said. "In this very moment, I am happier than I have ever been."

I feared he may have thought I was odd or perhaps a bit touched, but to my surprise, he returned my brilliant smile. I had brightened his spirits and for a moment, I had taken his mind off her, the woman he had lost. "I admire the work you do... helping take care of those dear, abandoned children in the orphanage. It is good work..."

He would have gone on speaking, but I quickly cut him off. "I took the place of my friend Bridget, caring for those unfortunate children who live in the orphanage, because you accused her of being a witch. She is dead because of your choices."

My words were not accusatory. I was only speaking the facts. Bridget died completely innocent; she was never a witch. Perhaps there were witches in Salem - but Bridget had never walked among the ones who practiced the dark arts. I kept trying to convince myself there weren't any witches. It was just some crazy story that Cotton's father had conjured up out of his irrational fears.

"I made a promise to my father... that I would rid Salem of all of its witches."

"Your father was a terrible, vile man. He killed many innocents. They were not witches."

I had made the great Cotton Mather speechless with just a few words. He could not dispute them. He knew in his heart they were true. I could tell by the way he hung his head and sorrowfully averted his eyes. The fact that his father had wrecked havoc on Salem in pursuit of his so-called witches was undoubtedly one of the reasons Cotton drank heavily at night. Everything he had did along-side his father had lead to his own self-condemnation.

"Your father's dead now. It's time for you to make a new life," I said quietly. "Stop the bloodshed. You are a good man."

"What other life is there?"

"The one you would make for yourself."

I stood up, adjusting the wrinkled skirts of my long blue gown. I had to hurry home. It was late and I had to help my mother as she prepared the evening meal.

"Thank you, Anne," I heard him say as he helped me to my feet. My hands lingered within his as I stared into his eyes. The eyes of my future husband. My forever-mate.

Taking hold of my senses, I reached for my sketchbook before the wind could carry it away. My hair was a tangled mass of red-gold as I rushed almost blindly from the gates of cemetery.

He had noticed me... Finally!

I knew it was just a matter of time before I got what it was I most desired - his love!

Little did I know just how wrong I was that fateful day. There were witches in Salem ... and I was one of them. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
**

 _"A kind woman once told me the problem with knowing things is that you can never unknow them." - Anne Hale  
_  
When I reached full maturity and it had become my eighteenth year, my father approached me with the horrifying truth. Elizabeth Hale was not my true mother. She had raised me since infancy, but my real mother was in fact the Countess Marburg, a powerful and ancient witch. My father, too, was a witch. The Countess had chosen my father to sire her offspring and to raise and protect me, her only female heir. I was a child of one year old when we came to live in Salem. I was just learning to walk as we settled into our new home.

For the first few years of my life, I came into my powers with a great intensity. I was able to move objects with just the determination of own my mind. Every day, my father worked with me in a secret room of our house, teaching me skills that until I learned the truth, I had long forgotten.

Now that I had become a young woman, my father showed me the secret, attic room. When he spoke of the past, I did not want to believe him. How could it be true? My mother wasn't _really_ my mother? I was born of a witch?!

I couldn't wrap my mind around what my father was telling me. He practiced the dark arts? And I was a witch as well?!

It couldn't be true! I was a good person! I loved animals and nature and those sweet children at the orphanage! I was NOT a witch! I could _not_ be!

 **I was everything good**!

"No! No!" I screamed. "It's not true! I am not a witch! I am _not_!"

"Anne, calm down. I feared you would react this way," my father said as he tried to console me.

"You should have told her years ago, John," said Elizabeth, the woman whom I had just learned had not given birth to me. She had joined us in the secret room which was located in the attic of our house. "All of this; it is far too much for her to handle."

"Are you a witch, too?" I screamed at her.

"No, I am not. Anne, I love you - just as much as if you were my child..."

I wasn't listening. They had lied to me! They had lied to me ALL of my life! I was angry and it felt as if my head were about to explode. It was getting suffocatingly hot within the room. It smelled like something was smouldering!

"I hate you!" I screamed at my parents. "I hate you both and I wish you were dead!"

Suddenly then as I wished it was so, something horrific began to happen. My mother's head caved in as if it had been squashed by a brutal, giant fist. She made a sound like a scared, wounded animal as blood rushed from her skull and she crumpled to the floor.

I then turned my attention onto my father. He looked petrified. "Don't do it, Anne. I am your father!" I heard him begging. "Don't! _Don't_..."

But it was too late. My rage was volatile and it was fatal. He suddenly flew backward at a great velocity. He hit the wall with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered upon the wall directly behind my father's head.

My parents were dead and I was responsible. I fell to the floor, sobbing in anguish. How could I have committed such a terrible act of brutality and I had not even touched them?! What sort of dark forces were raging inside me?!

For the longest time, I lay upon the floor, weeping. It was hours later that I stood up slowly, determined to clean up the mess. It took a great deal of scrubbing to get all the crimson stains off of the wooden floor and walls. Ohhh what would I do with the bodies?

It couldn't be true, could it?! I couldn't be a witch and a killer!

I finally made up my mind. I buried the bodies in the cellar. I decided I would tell everyone my parents had gone to Boston. No one had to know the horrible truth and I would go on with my life as usual. I loved my parents and I missed them, but yet they were not without blame. They had LIED to me! They had kept secrets - terrible secrets-and because of what they done, it had unleashed powers within me which frightened me to the innermost core of my being.

I had almost set the house on fire that night during my outburst. I needed to get control of the rage that was seething inside me like a living thing. And still, throughout it all, I just didn't want to believe it. Me - a witch? I was _too good_. I was too full of light and love. I was ME - not a witch! I wanted to prove it was untrue, somehow!

I went to the one person I knew could help me in my pursuit of finding out the truth. I ended up at Cotton Mather's, knocking upon his door in the middle of the night, wearing nothing more than my long, thin nightgown.

"Anne, what is wrong?" he asked in concern. I could tell he had been drinking. I could smell the scent of the potent liquid upon his breath as he leaned into me, staring into my eyes.

"Please, Cotton - Reverend Mather, you have to help me," I pleaded.

"Help you with what?" he said as he ushered me inside. His living quarters were a chaotic mess of countless books that had been written about the subject of battling witchcraft, strewn clothing, and half empty bottles of potent amber spirits.

"I think I might be... I might be a-a witch..."

"A what?"

He sobered up a bit, hearing my words although they were barely audible. "Anne, not you. You could never be a witch."

"I need you to examine me," I insisted. "Look for the mark. The witch's mark. _Please_."

I was pleading as I began to undo the laces of my nightgown. His eyes got huge. He knew then that I was serious and just what he needed to do.

"Go lie down on the bed," I heard him say. His words were gentle, but I was trembling from head to toe, scared of what he might find.

He was Increase Mather's son. If anyone could locate a witch's mark upon my flesh, it would be him.

"I have to examine you. _Everywhere_ ," he said as he came to stand over me. I lay upon his bed as I quietly shut my eyes.

I was barely breathing as it would soon be the moment of truth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 _"Please, Lord, I beg thee. Give me a sign." - Cotton Mather_

I trembled as Cotton carefully unlaced my nightgown and slowly parted the flimsy material. With the greatest of tenderness, his hand slipped beneath the gown, seeking my soft, supple skin. I sucked in my breath, feeling his warm fingertips skimming my naked flesh, searching for any sign of a witch's mark I feared must mar my virgin flesh. He left no part of my body untouched as my nipples became tiny beads beneath his hands.

I forgot to breathe as he slid his hand lower, across my flat stomach and over the indention of my navel, leaving nothing untouched in his path. When his hand made contact with my warm center, I suddenly felt that heat again- that intense, fierce fire. It was burning in my eyes and smouldering like a lustrous flame. He thrust two fingers inside of me, searching, intruding. I rose up to meet those fingers, so wet and full of desire. I didn't realize it then, but I had just had my first orgasm. I had spasmed against his fingers. My eyes were no longer a dark chocolate; they were glowing a bright, fiery, all-consuming red. Had he only seen those eyes, then he would have known, for in that moment, I was not human.

But he did not notice; his thoughts were elsewhere as I continued to quake beneath the downward thrust of his fingers. He was inside me. _Inside_. A part of me. For just a moment, we were One, but to my dismay, he withdrew. I wanted to cry, but I could not. I couldn't let him see my tears. They would give away my heart!

"Anne," he said, his voice husky. "You have no witch's mark. You are a perfectly healthy young woman."

"But I-," I started to argue, but I thought better of it. I wanted him to love me and to be my husband. I wasn't about to tell him that I had killed my parents and buried them in the cellar.

"What made you think that you might be a witch?" he asked as he gently helped me lace the bodice of my gown. His fingers were skillful as though he were an expert in manipulating a woman's clothing. I knew he had to have performed this task many times before, most likely in the brothel with his long-lost lover, his beautiful Gloriana.

"I- I had a nightmare," I said, still trembling. I wasn't so much scared in that moment as I was shuddering with desire. He had awakened something in me. How was I to know then that passion was a driving force I would need to help me strengthen my powers? I craved it as madly as I craved him!

"Cotton, when you touched me..." I blushed as I looked down, toward the damp place where he had plundered me with his fingers. _Inside._ I wanted him inside again.

"You need to go home now, Anne. I've had far too much to drink."

He seemed so much more sober than he had been at my arrival and I wondered if he would remember any of this in the morning. "Can't I stay with you tonight?" I begged. "I am frightened."

"It wouldn't be right. You, an unmarried woman, sleeping in the Reverend Mather's bed."

I decided it wouldn't be that way for long. I would soon be married to this man. I'd sleep in his bed EVERY night. He wouldn't need his intoxicant of choice, because he would have me.

Daringly, I reached out and pressed my lips against his in the softest and most tender of kisses. When I pulled away, he looked dazed. "Thank you," I said, my voice just as gentle as his touch earlier when his fingers had moved everywhere against my pliant and supple skin. "Good night." 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
**

 _"Every morning, we have a choice. Forget our dreams, or live them." - Cotton Mather  
_

After that kiss, I was certain he would come to me, asking for my hand in marriage, but my greatest wish did not occur. Cotton was stubborn. His vices were keeping him from coming to my door. He didn't want to bring me into his world, not when his bottles of strong drink were his only friends.

Little did he know that getting drunk was the far least of his worries. A witch had fallen in love with him and she wanted him for her own. I was determined to get him, no matter what means I had to use to persuade him.

I found my father's journal as well as a book he had created especially for me. To my surprise, the book was full of dozens of empty pages. According to my father's journal, only my blood could bring forth the magic which was needed for me to see the book's hidden contents.

I took a knife and cut into the flesh of my hand, spilling my blood upon the pages. Suddenly words and illustrations filled the book. It was a book of many spells. My eyes widened as I began to absorb the gravity of the power I now held within my hands. But with the knowledge of the book, there would be a hefty price. My father spoke of it in his journal. That very night, as I lay in my bed, I felt the Darkness as it reached out for me. As my father had warned, the only way I could fully become a witch was to sacrifice my virginity to the Beast. That night... that dark, awful night, my innocence would be violently shattered.

I was awakened from my bed by a scratching sound at the window. Fearfully I stood up, knowing I had no other choice but to investigate. Suddenly, an evil, vile face loomed before me - the face of a demon! I screamed as it reached out for me with its clawed, gnarled hands, pulling me toward it and out of the window. I cried out until my voice was hoarse. As I yelled in protest, it drug me forcibly through the forest and out into the darkness.

There upon the damp and filthy earth, it violated me. As its large, putrid member tore through my virgin's flesh, I screamed out HIS name.

"Cotton!" carried out through the forest, to the roadway where a carriage was rushing passed. It held a single rider.

I did not know of the carriage's existence, nor of the rider within, not till later. I was in far too much pain.

I lay in my bed for days, crying for my lost innocence. I had wanted to give it to Cotton on the night of our wedding.

But I discovered after my brutal violation that he had disappeared to Boston. Why had he left? Had he been running from something? Perhaps his feelings for me?

After days of heavy bleeding and considerable pain, I finally arose from my bed. I was hurting immensely as I walked across the floor to stare at myself in the full-length mirror. Something had changed within me. My eyes were ... _different_ as was my body. I would never be the same again as pure evil had entered me, penetrating me deeply to stain me with its wicked seed.

Would he... _could_ he, love me now? I needed to get to him. I needed to persuade him to marry me _immediately_. I felt it with a swift sense of urgency as I stared at my nude, ripening body within the mirror.

I'd go to Boston... and I would become Cotton Mather's wife. But first, I must perform a ritual that would ensure his eternal love for me. It would strengthen our bond so that he'd have no other choice but to ask me to become his bride.

Out of the darkness of the secret room came a tiny little mouse. It was such an adorable creature! It befriended me, sitting next to me and curling upon my shoulder like a pet as I looked down at my book of spells, trying to find the perfect one to make Cotton fall madly and deeply in love with me. I talked to the little mouse, naming him Brown Jenkins.

"Mr. Jenkins," I said to the cute little mouse. "You, my dear one, are my only friend. You know, I think I do not like being a witch. I really do not like it at all."

As the mouse snuggled up to me, it scurried into the bodice of my gown. To my shock and surprise, it had latched onto a hidden teat which now protruded from the top of my abdomen. Like a newborn babe does with its mother, it began to suckle. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. I had my witch's mark and I was nursing my familiar. The mark hadn't been there the night that Cotton had examined me, but after having been taken by the Beast, there was no denying it now. I was a witch - whether I liked it or not. Considering I was witch and could do nothing about it, I decided to do what witches do best. I was about to cast my very first spell.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 ** _"I never longed for power, I longed for love." ~ Anne Hale_**

 **As I read through the spells and looked upon the illustrations within my Book of Shadows, I found many incantations that would aid me in my future as a witch. A love spell was what I sought to bind Reverend Mather to me forever. As I worked to understand the process and the requirements, I spoke gently to my little friend Brown Jenkins. He chattered to me in adorable squeaks as though he too were trying to understand what was written in the book that my father had left for me.**

 **"Ahhh, here it is..." I said when I discovered the perfect spell, the one that would surely make Cotton want to take me as his bride.**

 **I was smiling with glee as I read the spell, learning what I needed to do. "The blood of someone I love," I murmured as I read over the ingredients which were needed.**

 **Whom did I love... besides Cotton... and my parents who were decaying in the damp earth of the cellar? No one! No one at all. "Perhaps my own blood would work for this spell," I spoke aloud to myself. "I shall use my own blood as the ingredient, in the hope that it will be enough..."**

 **I ran the blade of the knife over my palm, watching as bright red droplets fell into the wooden bowl where I had collected my love-spell concoction. The drops fell in but I did not receive the desired result. There was no great puff of smoke. My spell was not working!**

 **As I gazed down at my precious friend, the adorable Mr. Jenkins, I despaired at what I must do. I could not sacrifice my only friend... not for the spell, but suddenly I knew at that moment that I must. I had to do the unthinkable!**

 **"Forgive me," I said as I grasped the tiny mouse in my bleeding hand. I held him gently at first, over the bowl, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew what I had to do to attain what was my greatest desire. Sadly, it must come at an incredible price, just like the lost blood of my virginity.**

 **"I am so sorry," I said with regret as I squeezed the very life out Mr. Brown Jenkins, my loyal familiar. As he screeched in agony, his blood splattered into the bowl, blending with the rest of my concoction. To my great relief, I witnessed a white puff of smoke rising forth from out of the bowl. My spell was working! I would soon have everything I needed to attain Cotton's love. I would perform the spell that would bind his heart to mine.**

 **I spoke the words from my book of spells, strong words of the witch. As I chanted my love spell, I lit nine crimson candles.**

 **"Ohhh Dark Lord, I call to thee for Cotton Mather to bring his love to me.**

 **Ohhh Dark Lord, I call to thee for Cotton Mather to bring his love for me to see."**

 **I reached for 9 red rose petals and 9 cinnamon sticks. I crushed the ingredients into the bowl along with the blood of my familiar.**

 **"Ohhh Dark Lord, I offer you 9 crushed cinnamon sticks and 9 blood-red rose petals. I also offer thee the blood of one I have loved as a token of my undying devotions. I thank thee for your aid in my dark magic. I ask thee to bring Cotton Mather to me. I ask thee to grant me his unwavering love."**

 **Suddenly all of the candles were extinguished one after another and I knew then that the spell had worked. Cotton was mine! The love-spell was complete. I would have him... and I would have his love!**

 **I added one final plea. "Ohhh Dark Lord, I ask thee that he carry flowers within his hand- that he bring flowers for me. I ask thee that he would come to take my hand in marriage and that I would become his bride. All of this I ask of thee, Dark One. So mote it be."**

 **I dropped to my knees, silently praying, but it wasn't to the Dark One to which I prayed. It was to the one up above - the one that Cotton spoke of in all his sermons. He loved God with all of his heart and in order to be his wife, I knew that I too must love Him. Couldn't I serve both? How could I be the wife of a reverend and also be a witch and in league with the Dark One?**

 **A tear rolled from my cheek because I was torn between my faith and the darkness of what I had become. I was a witch. I had to accept my destiny, but it wasn't easy. All I wanted above anything else was Cotton. I wanted him to love and to cherish. I wanted him to accept me. But could he ever love me, knowing my true nature? I feared it wouldn't be so, but it had to be, so that is why I had no other choice but to create the love-spell.**

 **"Now bring him to me!" I called out, my voice trembling on my lips.**

 **I looked down at my beloved little friend, his body crushed and broken. Again I had killed. A tear rushed down my cheek as I wrapped his tiny body in delicate linen. I must give Little Brown Jenkins a proper burial.**

 **I left the secret room and carried the mouse wrapped in fabric. He too I would bury in the cellar amongst my parents, the others I had loved. Now there was only one left. Cotton. And I had to wait for him to come to me. I had to trust in the strength of my magic. I had to believe that my incantation would summon him back to Salem.**

 **As I crawled into bed that night, I thought of him. Would he arrive by carriage the next day? Would he ask me to become his wife?**

 **My heart beat faster. I could scarcely wait to see him. "Cotton," I breathed as I saw his bright green eyes in my mind's eye.**

 **I wanted him to LOVE me... just as much as I loved him. We had to be married - immediately. It was pertinent that he ask for my hand in marriage the minute that he arrived back in Salem. At that moment in time, I did not understand why a hasty marriage was so vital... but I would. In time, I would understand exactly why I had no other choice but to forge with Cotton Mather an unbreakable bond.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 ** _"There was a moment when I knew the devil had won, and I had fallen out of God's world and into his. And then I saw you. The face, the love, the light shining from it. And then I knew in that instant that even if I was in the dark and Godless universe, there was still love. There was still you." ~ Cotton Mather  
_**  
 **As I predicted, he arrived by carriage the following day, a handful of bright lavender flowers grasped within his hand. "Miss Hale," he said as he smiled at me. His handsomeness took my breath away!**

 **"Please call me Anne," I spoke as I gave him a gentle smile.**

 **I took the flowers from Cotton as his eyes seemed to devour me. "Something has changed about you," he said as his green eyes twinkled. "It is as if overnight, you have blossomed."**

 **I felt myself blushing. For all intents and purposes, I was a virgin and I had never flirted with a man before. "Do come in," I said as I offered for him to enter my home.**

 **"I heard you went to Boston," I said as I placed the lovely flowers in a vase and set it in the middle of the dining room table. "What brings you back so quickly?"**

 **"I wanted to speak to you, Miss Hale... I mean, Anne. I had a dream about you last night."**

 **From the look on his face, it must have been an erotic dream - one of passion. I too had been having passionate dreams. My fantasies were quite intense, his skin against mine as he made sweet love to me. I wanted that. I wanted our wedding night to be special and full of ecstasy. I was barely breathing as I thought of how deeply I desired him.**

 **"Wh- what did you dream?" I asked.**

 **"I dreamed I asked you to marry me..." he said. "And you accepted."**

 **I looked at him in a bit of a daze. Could it be that my spell was working? Was the dashing reverend falling madly in love with me; a witch?**

 **"I would like to speak to your father. There is something I must ask of him."**

 **"I- I..." I stumbled over the words. "My father; he is away."**

 **"Where is he?"**

 **"He is gone."**

 **"And where is your mother?"**

 **"She's gone, too," I said, fidgeting nervously with the lace at the edge of the table cloth.**

 **"So you are here, all alone?"**

 **"Yes," I said. "All alone."**

 **"That is a pity. I intended to speak to your father. I wished to ask him for your hand in marriage," he said to my great joy.**

 **"Truly?" I said, the excitement evident in my voice.**

 **"That is if you'd have me."**

 **Suddenly he dropped to one knee, placing his dark head upon my lap. I could feel the heat of his flesh against my right inner thigh as his face pressed against the royal-blue skirt of my gown. "Anne, will you marry me?"**

 **"Ohhh Cotton! This is so sudden!"**

 **He stood up carefully then, gazing into my eyes. "You are all I can think about," he admitted. "My heart... it beats with love for you..."**

 **"Truly?" I repeated, my words a little more than a whisper.**

 **He nodded. "Anne Hale, will you please do me the honor of becoming my bride?"**

 **I couldn't hold back my joy a moment longer. "Yes. YES!" I said as I threw my arms around him. "I will marry you, Cotton."**

 **A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he held me tightly, crushing me close. "I knew that you wanted me, too," he said as he pulled back just a fraction and looked into my eyes. There was so much love and adoration in his gaze. "I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you."**

 **And with those words, his lips sunk onto mine for the sweetest and most delicious kiss. I nearly swooned. All the breath was sucked out of me as he made my lips his own.**

 **After the kiss had ended, I was bedazzled. "When are we to be married?" I heard myself asking.**

 **"Immediately. I won't go another day without YOU as my wife."**

 **As happy as his words made me feel in which was incredibly blissful, a part of me was downcast with regret and aching sorrow. My spell had made him come to me. He REALLY didn't love me. Not without the spell.**

 **"What is it, my sweet Anne?" he asked as he looked at me, his green eyes glittering with love and devotion.**

 **"It is nothing," I said as I embraced him tightly. "Can we be married now? I do not wish to wait a single moment."**

 **"Yes," he said as he showered me with kisses.**

 **He left no part of my face untouched. I trembled from head to toe as his smooth lips grazed my flesh. I was about to become Mrs. Reverend Mather.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 _Anne: "Cotton, please come back to me."  
Cotton: "I will certainly try."  
_  
When Cotton left to make arrangements for our wedding, I entered my parents' bedroom and peered into my mother's closet. For my wedding day, I would wear my mother's white lace wedding gown. I slipped it on and to my happy surprise, it fit me perfectly as though it had been made just for me. My red-gold hair was curled about my face as I gazed at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Cotton was right. Something HAD changed within me. I had bloomed like a bright, spring-time flower. It appeared I had suddenly reached the full peak of my womanhood. I tried not to think of the terrible deed in the woods that seemed to have caused this rare, glowing effect. Instead I preferred to think it was Cotton's love and the fact that we were about to get married that had placed that sweet, special sparkle into my eyes.

I had just finished getting ready when Cotton reappeared. He looked so handsome in his wedding attire. "Cotton!" I said when I looked him up and down. "I can't believe this is real. We are about to be married!"

"You look so beautiful," he said as his green eyes took in every inch of me. "I can't wait. Let's walk to the river. I shall officiate our marriage myself."

'Won't we need witnesses?"

"I have a surprise for you."

I grabbed the flowers off the table as we rushed out of the house. Minutes later, we had arrived at the river as the water gurgled against the rocks. It was such a lovely setting for a late spring wedding. A soft breeze blew my long red-gold hair as Cotton gazed lovingly into my eyes.

"Where is my surprise?"

Just then John Alden, Cotton's best friend stepped out of the nearby trees, a woman by his side. I recognized it to be Mary Sibley, a woman who had been rumored to be a witch. As I looked into her eyes, I suddenly knew it to be true. We were the same. Mary and I were witches.

Mary had left Salem and I hadn't realized that John had gone with her. She hadn't been able to stay when everyone in town was whispering about her behind her back, accusing her of witchcraft. Did John know of her bewitching ways? Or was he oblivious to her true nature, just like my husband-to-be?

"John," I said as I gave him an affectionate hug. "It's been so long since I have seen you. Far too long."

"Mary and I left Salem, but we don't live far. We wouldn't miss your wedding and when Cotton told us..."

Mary cut off his explanation. "We wanted to witness the marriage of Reverend Cotton Mather to the lovely and intriguing Anne Hale," she said as she gave me a look that told me that she knew ALL of my secrets, every single one.

When Mary hugged me, she whispered in my ear. "We need to talk after the ceremony," she said. "It's important."

I tensed, quite nervous at what Mary might have to say. Would she give my secrets away to my soon-to-be husband? I hoped and prayed my secrets would be kept safe. I didn't want Cotton to know that I had spelled him to fall madly in love with me. What if he found out about the bodies that were hidden in the basement? Would he still love me and want to keep me as his wife?

I must have been standing there transfixed, unable to focus, because Cotton was speaking to me, his arm banding around my waist to pull me closer to him. "Anne, it's time for us to be married. Are you ready, my love?"

"Yes, yes... Cotton, I want to marry you now."

His huge smile made my heart soar. I forgot all about Mary being a witch. I forgot all about everything but Cotton as he began speaking in his eloquent voice, beginning our wedding ceremony.

"Dearest Anne, from the moment I met you, I think I knew," he spoke. "I think I knew that somehow, someway, we'd be together... and that you'd be my bride. I love you so much... and today, I pledge my heart to you. I will love you... and nothing in Heaven nor nothing on earth can break such an incredible bond. You will be mine forever."

I was breathless, hearing him speak from the heart. Had my spell forged such an unbreakable love? He seemed entirely sincere. It didn't seem like just a spell. Tears filled up my eyes as I took in his words.

A single drop of salty wetness slid down my cheek. "Cotton, I love you more than anything... and I'd do anything...absolutely _anything_ to be with you... to be your wife."

A tiny sob was wrenched from my throat as he said, "Anne, do you promise to love, honor and cherish me for the rest of our lives?"

"I do."

"And I too, promise to love you, honor you, and cherish you with all my heart and soul," he said as his voice shook.

He tugged me against him, kissing me feverishly as I clung to him, never wanting to let him go. "It's official," he proclaimed after our hungry kiss. "Now we are married, and John Alden and Mary Sibley are our witnesses."

"The next wedding shall be ours," Mary said as she gazed at John.

John and Mary? I had always known that they were in love. I was glad that John had found some happiness. He deserved it. He was a good man and a dear friend to Cotton who was now my husband.

My husband! Cotton was my husband! I had gotten what I wanted, but what was next?

Our wedding night! The next sense of urgency I felt was to consummate our wedding. But before that could happen, Cotton turned to me with regret in his eyes.

"Anne, I am so sorry, my love," Cotton said as he held me and looked down into my face. "I have to help John with something... urgent. It could be life-threatening, but he is my friend and I must help him."

"Will you come back to me?" I asked.

"I promise. I will do everything in my power to come back to you. I love you, my sweet Anne."

"I love you, too," I responded as I held him so tightly in my embrace. "Come back to me, Cotton."

As he walked away into the trees with John, I felt a sharp sense of danger bubbling up inside my chest. I turned to Mary. "Where are they going?" I questioned.

"They have no other choice," she said sadly. "They are going to kill my son."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 _"Do not give in to despair. That is what you would tell me. We are not Puritans. Not anymore. We do not believe in this idiotic predestination. We make our own destiny." ~ Anne Hale_

I could only gasp in horror when I heard Mary's horrifying words. "Kill? Your son?"

"Yes," she said, her eyes downcast as she looked incredibly sad. "I gave birth to a baby; a little boy. That is why John and I left Salem. I was with child."

"You had John's child?"

She shook her head. "If only..." she said with tears shining in her eyes. "No, Anne. It wasn't ... John's child. It wasn't even the child of Mr. Sibley, my late husband. It was..."

She was shaking as she tried to explain, but I was completely lost. "Whose baby did you give birth to, Mary?"

"Anne, you and I... we are both witches. You are a cradle witch, but I- I _chose_ this fate. When John went to war, I had no other choice but to marry Mr. Sibley, Tituba took me into the woods. That night- that dark, awful night... something happened..."

"What was it?" I asked breathlessly.

"A horrible monster; a Beast..."

"Stop!" I cried out as no longer wanted to hear the rest. The details were far too traumatic. I never wanted to recall what that demon-like creature had done to _me_ in the woods on the dark, cold ground.

"Anne, when the Beast filled me with his dark seed, everything changed. I came into my powers, but there was a price. A terrible, **awful** price," she said as she spat out the words.

"What was it?"

"I conceived," she said flatly. "But it wasn't a baby I carried and I birthed. It was a **thing**. A creature with glowing eyes and sharp, tiny horns."

"No," I said in a sob.

I clutched my abdomen in horror and disbelief. Surely nothing that sinister could happen to me? I was supposed to be celebrating my wedding night! I couldn't bear to hear the details of the abomination that Mary Sibley had been forced to birthe.

"John wanted to raise the baby with me. At first we thought it was his- ours. We were **wrong**."

I just kept shaking my head as hot tears rushed from my eyes. "Anne, you know what the Beast did to you. You _know_ ," Mary said as she grabbed me in her arms and tried to make me realize exactly how complicated my life had now become. " **If** you're pregnant..."

"No, no..." I cried out. "If I have a baby, it will be Cotton's!"

"I hope for your sake... for Cotton's, you are right. Does he know... have you told him, that you are a witch?"

"No, he doesn't... and you _can't_ tell him! Promise me, Mary!"

"I won't tell him, but if you birthe a monstrous creature as I did, he's going to know. I had to tell John the truth. He knows only Cotton can help him as he has no other choice but to end the life of the **thing** I was forced to carry in my womb."

"Must you kill it?" I asked sadly, my heart aching as I continued to clutch at my flat stomach.

"Anne, it isn't human. It's the spawn of the Beast. You know it cannot live."

"I am sorry, Mary. I have to go home."

I was sobbing uncontrollably as I rushed back to my house. I shut myself in my bedroom and cried on my bed. A baby! A monster-creature that had been spawned from a Beast! I could not carry such a demonic thing inside me! I **would** not.

Was there a spell I could chant to stop it? Or was it already too late? Had the Beast's dark seed already quickened within my womb?

"Cotton, come home!" I cried out into my pillow. If he'd only come back home and make sweet love to me, then I knew everything would be alright. It had to be!

We had to consummate our marriage as soon as he stepped through the door. I had myself convinced that with one night of passion, I could set everything right. There would be a baby, but it would _not_ belong to the Beast.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 _"You're not the only one who knows what it feels like to hold desires that come true only in dreams." ~ Cotton_

After I had spent what seemed like hours crying into my pillow, my husband finally returned, still clad in his wedding garb. My dress was wrinkled as I sat up on the bed, my eyes burning from all my tears. "Cotton, you came home to me!" I cried out as I stood up quickly and ran into his arms. I held him so tight as if I could not ever let him go.

"I will always return to you, my love," he said as he kissed away the damp saltiness of my tears. "I love you so much."

"What happened out there?" I asked, my voice trembling in pain. "Mary said..."

"It's not for you to worry about, my dearest Anne," he said gently. "It is our wedding night."

"But... Mary said... Did you have to- have to kill anyone?"

"No, I could never..."

"But you have. Bridget and the others - the ones you thought were witches..."

"Let us not speak of that. No one died tonight. I promise you. Everything is fine... and everything _will be_ fine. There was a problem... and I took care of it. I promise you, dear Anne, I took care of everything."

I looked into his eyes, searching them, and I saw only tenderness and sincerity. "You're sure?" I asked softly.

"Very," he said as he drew me closer, my body pressed against the hard length of his. "Now I must tell you something..."

"What is it?" I asked as I stared at the glittering green jewels which were his eyes in dying kerosine lamp light.

"I have had dreams of you... About us. Passionate dreams," he said, his voice changing. He sounded tortured as if he were a man in agonizing pain.

"I have had those dreams, too," I admitted, my cheeks heating up. The sudden images of our bodies tangling together in lust had returned to my mind's eye.

"You dreamed of making love to me?" he questioned.

"Every night since the one you touched me," I said softly. "You take my breath away. I desire you so much. I need you to be inside me, so deep... again."

As I spoke, I was entirely breathless. Without warning, my handsome husband pushed me up against the wall, hiking up the the long skirts of my wedding gown with his strong hands. "Cotton," I moaned as he ripped at my underclothing, tearing the fabric in his haste. "Are you... Ohhhh!"

All it took was another quick movement on his part. He had unfastened his trousers and then suddenly, his hard shaft was deep inside me. Fully and completely. My eyes rolled back in my head as arched my neck. His hot, seeking lips made contact with the smooth skin of my throat. I cried out in pleasure/pain as he nipped at my skin, his beard scraping along tender flesh. I was dazed; there had been no foreplay whatsoever and yet I was loving every second of his rough lovemaking. It was the greatest pleasure I had ever known and I found myself revelling in it. I could feel my magic growing. It appeared to be feeding on _it_ \- upon the passion of Cotton's every fierce thrust.

"I love you, Anne. I will always love you!" he declared as he spilled his hot seed deep inside my body. Thank the heavens he was too caught up in his own lust to see the gleaming of red within my witch's eyes. Had he seen my eyes, then he would have known - my handsome husband would have known I had deceived him - that I wasn't the sweet, innocent Anne he thought he had just deflowered. I was so much **more**! The unsuspecting reverend had fallen madly in love with a cradle witch.

I collapsed against the wall behind him, my legs nearly weightless. He caught me in his arms as I nearly crumpled upon the floor. He was holding me tenderly, carrying me to the bed that would now be ours. "My darling, I am sorry... did I hurt you?" he asked with concern. "I was so rough. I should not have been so careless."

"No, Cotton, it was perfect," I assured him as he lay me back against the pillows and caressed my unruly red-gold hair. "You didn't hurt me. There was so much pleasure."

"Did you climax?" he asked.

"I don't know," I replied in confusion. "I am not sure."

"It happened so quickly. Next time I will take you slowly. And I will make you cum again and again."

I nearly swooned at his words. My magic was surging through me, fed by the lust we had just shared. Could I survive another round of Cotton's intense and erotic lovemaking?

"Cotton..." I spoke, my voice faltering. "Do you think... Do you think we just created... a child?"

"A child?" he asked as he stared into my eyes.

I nodded, hoping the thought of a child would please him. I needed him to want a baby just as much as I did. I urgently needed his approval.

"Yes, Cotton. After what we just did, I might be carrying your child - _our_ child."

A small smile came to his face. "A child," he repeated, seeming fond of the idea of a baby to love. "I'd love to have a child with you, Anne... boy or girl."

"Girl."

His smile widened. "A beautiful girl, just like her mother. That gives me so much hope."

"Hope," I said in a whisper. "That is what we'll name her. We'll name our baby girl Hope."

I curled up against him, wishing we were completely naked. I wanted to feel his bare flesh against mine. My mind was on our future ... on Hope, our little girl. I was exhausted. It had been a long day; such a long day. I could not stay awake another moment. I fell asleep in Cotton's affectionate embrace.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

 _The past few days, Cotton, it's been such a comfort being with you. ~ Anne Hale  
_

The days after our wedding night were filled with extreme joy. We spent every minute we could together and made love many times and in various positions. I took satisfaction in even the simple things, such as going to the market together to purchase food for our meals. We were so happy and so full of love. It was such bliss. I thought nothing could ever come between us now that we were married and Cotton had declared his love for me. All I could think about was our future and we spoke of it often - about our life together, the children we'd have, and all the joys that we were soon to know.

One such day, I carried a large basket filled with foodstuffs we had purchased from the vendors at the market. We were going home so I could prepare a delicious dinner. Cotton was grinning as we talked about Hope, the little girl I had envisioned on the night of our marriage. "I can almost feel it now, Cotton. I might be carrying our child."

"So soon?" he asked with surprise.

"Yes. I just have this sensation... a quickening. It's difficult to describe."

"You're so certain we'll have a daughter. What if our child is a boy?"

"No, it can't be a boy," I replied firmly. "It has to be a girl."

At the mere thought of the child being a boy, a creepy sensation slid up my back. The baby HAD to be a girl!

"It **will** be a girl... and her name will be Hope," I insisted.

"I hope you get your wish, my love. To be honest, I'd love to have a child with you," Cotton said with sincerity as we approached our home.

As we arrived in our front yard, I realized we had guests. Mary and John were waiting outside our door. "Hello, John and Mary. What brings you by?" Cotton asked with surprise. "You're taking a big risk... coming out of hiding. There is still talk in Salem that Mary may be a witch."

We hurried into our home with John and Mary, because Cotton was right. Salem was still seeking witches and Mary was a definite target. "It must be something important for you to have come all this way," Cotton said to John.

"It is," John replied. "Mary needs to speak to Anne... _alone_."

I looked at Mary as a sudden feeling of great unease overtook me. My husband looked confused. "It's a womanly thing," Mary said quietly. "A quite **delicate** matter."

"I see. Well, John and I can chat in the parlor then while you ladies..." Cotton was saying.

He didn't even get all the words out before Mary drug me off down the hallway, toward the kitchen. "What in the world are you doing?" I asked as I tugged my arm away from her in annoyance.

"You know EXACTLY why I am here! Have you told Cotton yet... that you are a witch?"

"No. NO! And do not say _that_. He cannot know!"

"He's going to know, Anne. You're with child, aren't you?"

I shook my head in denial as my eyes grew shiny with unshed tears. "You are!" Mary said knowingly.

"You're carrying a child... just as I did," Mary said in warning. "Chances are, the child you're carrying isn't Cotton's... Chances are, it belongs to the Beast."

"No. No! I WILL NOT birthe a vile creature as you did. If I am with child, it is _Cotton's_."

"Anne, I wanted to believe that, just like you, but then I saw IT... and it wasn't a baby at all. It was... an abomination."

"What-what did John and Cotton do with it? Your baby?"

"John didn't have the heart to kill it. It was Cotton - Cotton took care of everything. I did not want to know the grisly details. I just wanted IT gone."

"You feel no remorse at all? Wasn't he your child; your son?"

"Why should I? Anne, it was a monster. That horrible beast **RAPED** me, just as it did to you!"

I placed my hand on my stomach. It was still flat, but as we talked, I could feel my womb begin to swell. I knew. Deep down I knew and I was filled with a fierce, gripping horror. I could not birthe a disgusting creature. I wanted a beautiful baby girl, the child of Cotton Mather; a little girl born out of our love.

"Anne, you need to tell Cotton you're a witch. You need to tell him what happened to you that night in the woods. You must tell him the truth."

I shook my head. "I can **never** tell him. I quickened his love for me with my spell. If he knew, it could destroy everything!"

"Don't be a fool," Mary said with annoyance. "You're going to regret it when you give birth and it's the spawn of Satan-."

"Stop it, Mary. When and IF I tell Cotton, it's up to me. It's none of your concern."

Mary and I glared are each other. I set the basket of food down on the counter, busying myself in the kitchen as I began to prepare the meal. I ignored Mary, but I could feel her eyes upon me, watching my every movement. I worked quickly, kneading the bread and preparing a hearty stew. Soon delicious scents filled the kitchen. I had many skills as I had always helped my mother with the cooking, the household tasks, and the laundry. Being a witch was just one of my life's accomplishments.

"Anne, I care about Cotton. He's John's best friend. I want you to think long and hard about what you're keeping from him. He deserves to know the truth.'

I turned to look at her as I let out a heavy sigh. "I can't lose him, Mary. I **love** him, with all my heart and soul. You cannot understand."

"Ohhh but I do, my dear. I love John just as you love Cotton, but my lies kept us apart. It almost destroyed our love. The only way I could save what we had was to tell him the truth. It's just a matter of time. One way or another, Cotton is going to find out what you are - that you're a witch. Don't you want him to hear it from you?"

"Alright. I will tell him, Mary. But in my own time."

She stared at me, just shaking her head. "What you don't have now is time. He's going to know as soon as your belly swells up and you give birth in a matter of weeks, not months!"

My anger grew as I was slowly losing control of my powers. A steaming pot of water shot across the room and almost splashed onto Mary. She raised a hand, sending the pot flying toward the cupboards as hot water sizzled upon the polished wood.

"Enough!" I cried. "I told you- I will tell Cotton. I need to find a way to break it to him gently. I cannot break his heart."


End file.
